The constant barrage of post-holiday sales touted by web-based retailers may make it seem like online shopping is killing real-world stores, but shoppers are actually engaging in ‘web-to-store’.

A study shows this consumer behaviour has important implications for retailers. When setting in-store prices or offering price-matching guarantees, offline retailers should focus more on online retailer ratings than on offering the lowest prices.

In a research, Professor Onur Bodur investigates how offline consumer behaviour is influenced by online price comparison sites (PCSs). His results from three studies show that consumers pay careful attention to things like retailer ratings, how often a product is offered at the same price, and differing price levels.